Former defense minister and national security adviser of Japan, Yuriko Koike, expressed concern on Asia’s apathy to the protest in Thailand in a rare but very well written op-ed article on Project Syndicate. Koike warns that the current protest could expose all democracies in Asia to the risk of losing their political and economic ally. Boiling down the issue to the rising tension between China and the democratic countries, she points out that China’s influence over Thailand could easily grow in the aftermath of such a disaster. Japan rarely engages pro-actively in political conflicts in other countries but this article could signal an appetite for a more pro-active role in Asia, perhaps one aspect of Abe’s foreign policy motto - “Pro-active Pacifism”.

For further details, access the original article in English.